Abstract

Endang Jero Andrinof, Agus Muhaimin and Fahri Sudarsono

Consumers’ demand for better quality vegetables is increasing; however the external morphology of vegetables cannot guarantee safety from contamination. Heavy metals ranks high amongst the chief contaminants of leafy vegetables, especially if using sewage sludge or effluents from wastewater treatment plants for irrigation of agricultural lands. A greenhouse experiment in pots was carried out in order to assess the effect of combination of treated wastewater and dose of poultry manure on the bioavailability of heavy metal Fe in contaminated soils and its uptake from agricultural plants. Caisim/Chinese cabbage (BRASSICA SP) plants were grown. Soil samples were analyzed for determination the content of elements: Fe. Concentration of the same elements was measured also in the leaves and roots of investigated plants after harvesting. The research used completely Randomized Design with two factors. The first factor was water irrigation: a) treated wastewater by slow-sand filtered and b) untreated wastewater irrigated. The second factor was the manure doses: 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% of soil weight. The result showed that treated wastewater by slow-sand filtered reduced BOD, COD, suspended solid, Mn and Fe concentration in wastewater. Treated wastewater by slow-sand filtered plus manure application significantly increased plants height, slightly increased dry leaves and roots weight of Caisim/Chinese cabbage, but without manure application has had no different effect. Chinese cabbage which was watered by untreated and treated waste water tended to have high level Fe on leaves and roots, but still below the levels which can be toxic to the plants.